1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to novel photocatalytic optical fiber/fibers, which include photocatalyst material.
The invention relates to a novel photocatalyst apparatus using the photocatalytic optical fibers, which include photocatalyst material.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known that a photocatalyst (i.e. a photocatalytic material) is made of a photo-activating semiconductor typically Titanium Dioxide (TiO2), it is activated by irradiation of light including relatively short wavelength such as ultraviolet (UV) light and it oxidizes and/or reduces pollutants (i.e. contaminants) so as to decomposes (i.e. dissolves or resolves) the pollutants by a photo-catalyzing reaction or effect.
The photocatalyst is capable of applying to various fields by utilizing the photo-catalizing reaction of the photocatalyst.
That is, these fields are, for example, a cleaning to delete dirty component from a surface of articles, a dirt protection to prevent from attaching or sticking a dirty component, an infection, a deleting of offensive odor (or bad smell), a purification of gas (e.g. air) or liquid (e.g. water), a processing of exhausting gas, or a processing of waste liquid, a generation of Hydrogen and/or Oxygen from water, a speeding up of chemical reaction and a dissolving of pollutants or contaminants to cause social pollution.
All the applications as mentioned above utilize the photocatalyst reaction or photocatalyst function by strong oxidation and/or reduction power to show when the photocatalyst is activated by light.
For example, as for the purification of the air or water when the photocatalyst is irradiated by the light rays having comparatively short wavelength (e.g. ultraviolet rays), Oxygen (O2) existing in the air or dissolving in the water is activated by the photo-catalizing reaction so that Ozone (O3) and/or activated Oxygen (O) generate. The Ozone or the activated Oxygen decomposes contaminants or microorganism including in the air or water, such as mold (i.e. fungi), bacteria or organic chlorine compound by an oxidization reaction. Therefore, the air or water is sterilized (i.e. disinfected, removed from microorganisms,) purified (i.e. sanitized), deodorized or discolored.
Furthermore, when the photocatalyst is irradiated by the light rays with short wavelength, it accelerates to decompose i.e. resolve the water H2O to activated oxygen (O) and/or hydrogen (H2).
Moreover, the photocatalyst as a circumstance cleaning material contributes to decomposition of pollutants, which give a bad influence to a social circumstance. The pollutants are for example a volatile organic solvent, a chemical agent for agriculture such as grass eliminating agent (i.e. insecticide), an organic phosphate and a deleterious inorganic chemical compound such as cyanide and a kind of chrome.
In case that multiple photocatalyst elements (or particles) are used directly for reaction of oxidation and/or reduction with any substance, it is so difficult that the photocatalyst elements (or particles) are separated and collected, and a device to utilize the photocatalyst elements (or particles) becomes complicated and large.
While, in the case that multiple photocatalyst elements (or particles) are used as a form of photocatalyst supported substrate in which a layer including the photocatalyst elements (or particles) is fixed and supported on the substrate, the recycling of the photocatalyst elements (or particles) can be easily carried out, because the separation and collection of the photocatalyst elements (or particles) are not needed.
As for the latter case using the photocatalyst supported substrate, it is disclosed, in the publication of unexamined patent application of Japan No. 05155726 published on Jun. 22, 1993, (Japanese Patent No. 2883761 issued on Apr. 19, 1999), that a Titanium Dioxide layer (i.e. film) is formed on a substrate made of a heat resistance material such as metal, ceramic or glass in such a manner that Titania sol. is first coated on a surface of the substrate and then the Titania sol. is fired (i.e. baked). Thereby, the surface of the substrate is prevented from growth (i.e. proliferation) of bacteria.
In the related art, light rays emitting from a light source are partially used for activation of photocatalyst and the pollutants to be cleaned are irradiated indirectly by the light rays, because the pollutants exist between the light source and the photocatalyst material on the photocatalyst device. Especially, when the pollutants are made of light-absorbing or light-blocking materials, the photocatalyst material receives minimal amount of the light.
Therefore, the related art has such disadvantage that an effective use is not made for the light rays emitting from the light source. That is, a plurality of light sources and/or a light source/sources with high brightness are required to accelerate a photocatalytic reaction.
The present invention utilizes a photocatalytic (photocatalyst) optical fiber having photocatalyst material as a basic technological element that is disclosed in my U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/146,915, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,476 filed on Sep. 25, 1998, further, the same basic technological element is disclosed in my Japanese Patent application No. H08/80434 filed Feb. 27, 1996 laid on 1997 in a publication of Laying-open (Unexamined) Patent Application No. 09225295A and these U.S. and J.P. applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The photocatalytic optical fiber is composed of a core and a sheath being disposed partially or entirely on the core, in which the sheath includes the photocatalyst material being preferably formed as elements (or particles).
That is, a fiber like material is formed as an optical fiber by carrying the photocatalyst material corresponding to a sheath (i.e. a clad) of the optical fiber on the surface of a light-transmissible body corresponding to the core. Therefore, a light irradiation is efficiently carried out and a photo-catalizing reaction is accelerated by irradiating directly the photocatalyst material with light output from the inside of the light-transmissible body in the photocatalytic optical fiber.
A first aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of photocatalytic optical fibers and a substrate member, in which each of the photocatalytic optical fibers are composed of a core and a photocatalytic sheath (i.e. clad, cladding, jacket, cover or coat) including photocatalyst material and the photocatalytic optical fibers are supported on the substrate member (i.e. base, support, supporter or foundation). The photocatalytic sheath is disposed partially or entirely on the core. Each photocatalytic optical fiber has a length of core, a first end and a second end.
When light is introduced (or input) from the first end and/or the second end into the core made of transparent material (i.e. light-transmissible material), the light reflects repeatedly inside of the core by means of xe2x80x9ctotal internal reflectionxe2x80x9d and said light leaks gradually from the core to the photocatalytic sheath And the photocatalytic sheath is activated by irradiation of the light so that the photocatalytic sheath can be photocatalized.
A second aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of photocatalytic optical fibers and a substrate member made of transparent material, in which each of the photocatalytic optical fibers are composed of a core and a photocatalytic sheath (i.e. a photocatalytic clad) including photocatalyst material and the photocatalytic optical fibers are supported on the substrate member.
In the second aspect of the present invention, the light capable of activating the photocatalytic optical fibers may be introduced from at least one portion of the transparent substrate member to an interior of the transparent substrate member. The light is transmitted inside of the interior and output (i.e. leaked) from the interior. The leaked light is input to the cores from the first ends or the second ends (light input ends) of the photocatalytic optical fibers. The light is transmitted inside of a length of the core and also leaked gradually from the core to the photocatalytic sheath. Because the photocatalytic sheath includes the photocatalyst material, the photocatalytic sheath can be photocatalized by irradiation of the light.
A third aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of photocatalytic optical fibers and a substrate member, in which each of the photocatalytic optical fibers are composed of a core and a photocatalytic sheath including photocatalyst material and the photocatalytic optical fibers are supported on the substrate member, in which the photocatalytic optical fibers are implanted on the substrate member.
In the third aspect of the present invention, the photocatalytic optical fibers may be implanted on an adhesive member (i.e. adhesive layer or film), which is disposed partially or entirely on the substrate member. The photocatalytic optical fibers may be disposed on the substrate member by a flocking method. As the flocking method, an electrostatic flocking method is preferably utilized, in which a high voltage is applied between the photocatalytic optical fibers and the substrate member in order to flock the photocatalytic optical fibers. The adhesive member is desirably composed of light-curable resin material capable of curing by irradiation of light to fix the photocatalytic optical fibers on the adhesive material.